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We invite you to nominate a candidate who has made extraordinary efforts for forests and for the people that depend on forests!

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) has launched the first ever Wangari Maathai Award to honour and commemorate the impact of this extraordinary woman who championed forest issues around the world. The award in the amount of USD20,000 will be given in recognition of outstanding contributions made by an individual to preserve, restore and sustainably manage forests and to communicate the key role forests play in rural livelihoods and the environment across generations. The Wangari Maathai Award, given for the first time in 2012, was created by CBD, CIFOR, FAO, GEF, ICRAF, ITTO, IUCN, IUFRO, UNCCD, UNDP, UNEP, UNFCCC, UNFF and World Bank, all members of the CPF.

Nominations will be reviewed by an international jury of renowned and authoritative personalities, who will also take into consideration such elements as empowering civil society, fostering social commitment, promoting networks and improving the valuation of forests in society.

Eligibility: Applicants should be nominated by a third party. Nominees may be persons, living or recently deceased, who have made exceptional contributions to forests. Professional and research contributions will only be considered if they are conducted outside of normal work-related responsibilities. Applications received from a nominee’s kin or business partner are not eligible for consideration. Applications related to grassroots initiatives are particularly encouraged.

Selection: The closing date for receipt of nominations is Friday, 15 June 2012. The awardee will be selected by a jury nominated by CPF members, which will take into account gender and regional balance when considering potential awardees.

Announcement: The awardee will be notified of their selection via email in late August, once the jury has concluded its work. This year’s Wangari Maathai Award will be presented on 27 September 2012 on the occasion of the first anniversary of Wangari Maathai’s death, during the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) and 3rd World Forestry Week (WFW) meetings. The awardee will be welcomed to receive their award in person.

To submit an application:You can send a nomination for the award to the CPF Secretariat at cpf@un.org. The attached guidelines should be used when submitting your nomination. Download the applicant guidelines here.

About CPF:

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests consists of 14 international organizations, bodies and convention secretariats that have substantial programmes on forests. The mission of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests is to promote sustainable management of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this end. The objectives of the Partnership are to support the work of the United Nations Forum on Forests and its member countries and to enhance cooperation and coordination on forest issues.